LANSING — On a straight party-line vote, the state House insurance committee voted today to approve a bill that would allow health care providers and facilities to refuse service based on a moral objection, religious reasons or matters of conscience.

The bill now moves to the full House, and if approved, would move to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.

The bill, which has passed the Senate, “respects religious freedom,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Moolenaar, R-Midland. “But also allows for the best medical care.”

Right to Life of Michigan, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, supports the bill and said today that it’s not intended to discriminate against any person or group.

“We have never intended for people to be denied health care,” said Ed Rivet, of Right to Life.

But opponents of the bill said it could have many unintended consequences, including denying health care for things such as birth control pills or to patients with AIDS, or denying services to people who contract diseases from certain behaviors.

State Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon, said her constituents could be severely affected by the law because the only major hospital that services her district is a Catholic hospital.

“What strikes me is, the patient is forgotten in their religious beliefs and their conscience, and they should be the No. 1 priority,” she said. “This country has been founded on religious liberty, and you’re trying to impose their religious beliefs on me and my constituents.”

Mary Pollack, president of the National Organization for Women, brought up the example of Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist in Ireland who miscarried and was refused an abortion until there was no fetal heartbeat. She died of blood poisoning before a procedure could happen.

“This is the kind of story that happened before modern medicine. It should not happen today,” she said. “If you pass this bill, it will allow whole facilities to refuse treatments for cases like this.”

Moolenaar said doctors would be required to treat patients in emergency situations and have an obligation to transfer them to facilities that didn’t have a moral, religious or conscience objection to a procedure.

State Rep. Pete Lund, R-Shelby Township, said he hopes the committee can continue to discuss, and perhaps vote, on the issue later today.